The Centre is unlikely to carry out a cabinet reshuffle before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, with the government choosing to focus first on pushing key legislations such as delimitation and the One Nation One Election bills. Sources said the session is expected to begin around July 20, while any cabinet reshuffle is now more likely in September or October. The thinking is that changing ministers just before an important session could upset leaders who miss out, especially when the government does not have the two-thirds majority needed in either House for major legislation.
Why Cabinet reshuffle May Wait Until After Parliament Session
Another reason for delaying the cabinet reshuffle is strategy. Holding the expansion after Parliament gives the government room to negotiate support for crucial bills. Even if new ministers were appointed before July 20, they would get very little time to settle into their portfolios before the session begins.
There is also a practical issue. President Droupadi Murmu is on a two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh and returns on July 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the Japanese Prime Minister from July 1 to July 3, visit Rajasthan on July 4, and travel to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand from July 6 to July 11. That leaves only July 5 as a realistic window for a cabinet reshuffle before Parliament.
Past Cabinet reshuffle Shows Last-Minute Changes Are Possible
Even so, a late cabinet reshuffle cannot be ruled out. In July 2021, the Modi government carried out a major expansion just before the Parliament session, dropping 12 senior ministers, including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar, while inducting 36 new faces.
According to reports, over the last 12 years, the government has held four major expansions: 21 ministers were inducted in November 2014, 19 joined and five were dropped in July 2016, nine were inducted while four were promoted and six removed in September 2017, and the major 2021 exercise reshaped the Council of Ministers.
Vacancies Cabinet reshuffle Could Fill In Coming Months
Reports say that, several positions could become part of the next cabinet reshuffle. George Kurien has resigned as Minister of State for Minority Affairs after his Rajya Sabha term ended, while Ravneet Singh Bittu continues despite not being a member of either House because of political considerations ahead of the Punjab elections.
Questions also remain over Ministers of State Pankaj Chaudhary and Harsh Malhotra, who now head the BJP units in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi respectively under the party’s “one person, one post” principle. However, removing Chaudhary before the UP elections could send the wrong message to the influential Kurmi community. Similar exceptions were made earlier for Vijay Sampla and G Kishan Reddy.
What Will Decide The Next Cabinet reshuffle
As per reports, performance reviews conducted by Prime Minister Modi in May are expected to play a major role in the next cabinet reshuffle. The BJP is also looking to bring in younger leaders, with eight ministers currently in the 70-80 age group. Other factors include the Rajya Sabha terms of Hardeep Singh Puri and B L Verma ending in November, increasing women’s representation, giving more space to poll-bound states, possible lateral entry of former bureaucrats such as ex-RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, and strengthening OBC representation as the caste census moves forward.
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Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
